


You're My Home

by ericsonclan



Series: Ericson's Diner AU [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, F/F, Family, Friendship, Gen, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Racism, Romance, Self-Defense, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:54:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24872626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: Louis drops by Violet's place to tell her some good news but runs into her father instead.
Relationships: Louis & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Marlon & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Mitch & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Mitch & Willy (Walking Dead: Done Running), Prisha/Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: Ericson's Diner AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1688374
Comments: 7
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (by Laura)
> 
> tw for racism, sexism and violence. Violet's father is scum.
> 
> Also, this takes place a few years before most of the events in the Ericson's Diner AU, back in high school.

Louis strolled into the trailer park, craning his neck as he tried to figure out which of the trailer homes was Violet’s. He didn’t come by her place very often, but he’d wanted to share the big news with her in person. He’d gotten his driver’s license! Granted he couldn’t drive her anywhere unsupervised yet, but it was still a big deal. Knowing Violet, she’d probably suggest that she just crawl into the trunk of his car so he could drive her around with no one being the wiser. His dad would kill him if they tried that, but the thought was fun.

Ah, there it was! He recognized the sign on the front door: a smiling sun surrounded by purple flowers at the base. It was faded with age and some of the paint had chipped off, but the “Welcome” on it was still clearly legible. Violet’s mom had picked it up at some sort of estate sale, and though Violet hated it her mom loved it so it had stayed on their screen door for years. Louis made his way towards the house, hoping that he’d catch Violet listening to music so he could sneak up behind her and surprise her.

Suddenly the front door burst open and a clearly drunk man stumbled out. Violet’s father. Louis had only seen him a couple times and at a distance, but he recognized him nonetheless. He and Violet had the same eyes. “Ungrateful bitch!” His words were slurred as he stumbled backwards. “Taking that tone with me under my roof? If you think I’ll put up with your attitude-”

“I’m going!” Violet snapped. Her hoodie was pulled over head as she exited the trailer home. “Just fuck off!” She froze when she saw her friend standing before her. “Louis? What are you doing here?”

He wasn’t sure how to respond. “Well, I-”

“So, you’re Louis,” Violet’s father said, taking an unsteady step forward. “Tell me, you enjoy fucking my daughter?”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s what the two of you do, ain’t it? Girl like her ain’t good for much else, but I figure it’s a step up for you, pounding a white girl for a change,”

“Dad!”

“Sir, your daughter and I have never… we’re just friends!”

“Oh, I’m sure. Two of you meet up at that boarding school with a bunch of other fucked up troublemakers, and you just sit around making friendship bracelets every day!”

“We’re leaving,” Violet declared, stepping forward between her dad and Louis.

“I ain’t done with you yet, you cunt!” Violet’s father grabbed her wrist, pulling her back towards him.

“Get your hands off her!” Before he knew what he was doing, Louis had ripped Violet’s hand away, pushing her father back in the process.

The man looked up at Louis with murder in his eyes. “Why you no good son of a bitch!” He grabbed onto the collar of Louis’ shirt, raising him off the ground. “I outta-”

“Dad, stop!” Violet desperately pulled on her father’s arm. “He’s the son of the owner of Mason Waterworks! If you hurt him, it’ll be your ass in jail!”

That got through to him. Violet’s father lowered Louis to the ground, eyeing him warily. “That true, boy?”

“Y-yes,”

“What’s a rich kid like you doing with my daughter?”

“We’re friends, like I said,”

“Friends,” the man spat on the ground in derision. “Ain’t no such thing between a man and a woman. I don’t care how rich your daddy is. I don’t want to see you sniffing around my daughter, you-”

“There’s a bottle of whiskey under the sink,” Violet interrupted. “You don’t have to go out for more,”

Her father turned to her, his eyes glazed. “You telling me you’ve been hiding things from me?”

“Do you want it or not?”

Neither dropped their gaze. The tension was palpable as the silence continued.

Finally, Violet’s father looked away, muttering something under his breath as he trudged back to the trailer home.

Violet strode forward, her eyes on the ground. “C’mon, let’s get out of here,”

\---

They snuck into Louis’ house through the kitchen entrance, making their way silently up to his room. His father wasn’t around, but if any of the staff saw them, they were sure to report to him that some of Louis “less desirable” friends had been around. Once they made it to the room Louis locked the door behind them and they both collapsed upon his bed.

Violet still had her hoodie up. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and she’d buried the visible portion of her face behind them.

Louis lay beside her, unsure of how to proceed. “Do… you want to talk about it?”

“Sorry,” Violet murmured, her voice muffled by her knees.

“None of that was your fault,”

“He’s my dad. You wouldn’t have even been there if not for me,”

“I’m glad I was. I mean, obviously it was terrifying, but I’d rather your dad was pissed at me than you,”

“He’s always pissed at me,” Violet raised her head a bit, resting her chin on her knees. “I’ll sneak back tonight. He should be out by then,”

“You could stay here, you know. However long you like. I could drive you to school and pick you up afterwards,”

“You got your license?” Violet asked, turning her head to look at him. “Congrats,”

“Thanks. I was coming over to tell you that. Guess I shouldn’t drop by unannounced anymore, just to be safe. But seriously, stay here as long as you like,”

“Nah, I’m good. I appreciate it, but you and I both know your dad isn’t big on charity cases,”

“I’ll explain it to him, make him understand,”

Violet shook her head. “If you told him what went down today, I don’t think he’d ever let us near each other again,”

Louis knew she was right. He felt his stomach tightening in anger despite his resignation. “Alright. You can’t stay forever. But you can at least stay the night. Text your mom, let her know you’re safe. Then I’ll order pizza and we’ll watch whatever you want, even a horror,”

Violet raised an eyebrow. “You serious?”

“I never joke about pizza,”

“No, that I get my choice of movie,”

“For you, anything. Even…” Louis shuddered. “ _The Ring_ ,”

A small smile flitted across Violet’s lips. “Alright,”

“Wonderful. You get the movie set up, I’ll order pizza. One pepperoni mushroom, one cheese,”

They did indeed end up watching The Ring. Louis hated every second of it, but he tried his best to distract himself with his phone, adding sassy commentary whenever he happened to glance up at the screen. Violet was mostly quiet, but he could tell that she was comfortable, contentedly munching on her cheese pizza as she chuckled at all the character deaths. Once the movie was finished they sat on the bed together, each listening to music with earbuds as they scrolled through their phones.

When Louis noticed that Violet’s eyelids were drooping, he dimmed the lights. Soon she had passed out on his bed, one of his pillows tucked between her arms. Louis decided it was time for him to turn in too. He went into his bathroom to change and brush his teeth. It was a school day tomorrow. They’d be employing the hiding-in-the-trunk manner of transport earlier than expected. He re-entered the room, turning off his lamp as he crawled into bed, being careful to leave plenty of room for Violet so they wouldn’t end up awkwardly tangled in each other’s arms in the morning. The moonlight through his bedroom window fell upon Violet’s face, illuminating her in cool blue light, her face matching his bedsheets. He was glad she was sleeping. He’d have stayed up all night if necessary, but school would’ve been hell for both of them tomorrow.

“Night, Vi,” he whispered. It wasn’t much, but for tonight she was safe. He was glad for that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Violet needs a place to stay for the weekend and Louis is out of town, Marlon tells her she can crash on his family's couch.

“So my folks say it’s OK if you sleep down here tonight,” Marlon said as he made his way down the basement stairs. Violet followed a short distance behind him, looking around the den. A worn-out foosball table stood in the center of the room, the handles worn and some broken from repeated use. A brown couch that Marlon had informed her turned into a fold-out bed faced the TV with a table in front on which empty bowls and soda cans lay scattered. The room had that musty smell all basements do, but it was a pleasant space; lived in. 

Marlon quickly swept all the trash on the table into a nearby trash can before setting it aide. “Sorry about the mess. My dad has his buddies down here every Sunday to watch the game and my mom’s been busy at work so no one’s cleaned up,”

Violet simply nodded. On one shoulder she carried her backpack, half-full of the few essentials she’d been able to grab before slipping out of the trailer. Her mom had shifts booked over the entire weekend, and from the set of six-packs her dad had brought home, Violet knew he had no intention of leaving for the next few days. Louis was out of town visiting his mom. He’d reached out to Marlon and asked him if Violet could crash at his place for the weekend. Violet had thought of turning the offer down, but Marlon had called her and insisted that he wanted to host her at his house, not just as a favor to Louis, but as his friend. 

Now here they were, awkwardly standing in his basement and wondering what to do. They’d hung out plenty of times over the years, but always with Louis around. He was the one who’d introduced them and he was the reason for almost all their get-togethers. Without his bubbly presence constantly coming up with new ideas, they both felt rather stand-offish, unsure what to do. 

Marlon broke the silence first. “I’ll get us some drinks,” He hurried over to the mini fridge that buzzed steadily in the corner. Immediately his eyes darkened. “Damnit!” he slammed the door shut. “My dad must have figured out I’d started sneaking his booze and moved it somewhere else,” He looked to Violet, and immediately realized his mistake. Her shoulders had tensed and her eyes looked elsewhere. “Shit, Vi, I’m sorry. Should’ve realized you wouldn’t want to have any alcohol near you anyway,”

“It’s OK,” Violet murmured. It was actually the noise that had scared her, the force with which Marlon slammed shut the fridge, but she didn’t bother sharing that. She didn’t want to insult him when he’d opened up his home to her. Marlon had insisted it wasn’t for Louis’ sake, but still…

“I think we have some soda-pop upstairs. Hopefully they’re not flat. And there’s some leftover meatloaf in the fridge as well. Sorry we can’t order out. I’m broke till next Friday,”

“That’s fine,”

Without another word, Marlon bolted back up the stairs. Violet looked around the room. She’d been here a few times before when Louis invited her over. There was a cabinet full of old VHS tapes and some miscellaneous DVDs. Old sports trophies and medals covered all available display spaces in the room. Some were for Marlon, others for his dad. She’d heard before that Marlon’s old man was quite the athlete in college before a bum knee took his out of the running for a professional career. It felt like such a cliché, but then again Marlon always did seem like an all-American boy.

It was only a few minutes later when Marlon barreled back down the stairs, a bag of Cheetos in his mouth, two large soda-pops with one under each arm and a huge plate of meatloaf in his hands. He spit out the Cheetos bag and dumped down the drinks before handing Violet the plate. “My mom always says a good meal’s the first place to start when trying to feel at home,” 

Violet silently took the plate. It was a nice gesture, but she didn’t know how much of an appetite she had right now.

Marlon walked over to the cabinet, perusing the family’s movie collection. “You wanna watch anything in particular? I know Lou said you like horror. I think I have a copy of _Scream_ that I taped over _Teletubbies_ so my mom wouldn’t find it and throw it out,”

“We don’t have to hang out, Marlon,”

Marlon looked up in surprise at Violet’s words. 

Her gaze remained steady. “I’m just crashing here. That doesn’t mean you have to entertain me for the whole weekend. I’m sure you’d rather be outside playing basketball with Mitch or driving around town or anywhere else,”

“I actually thought it’d be nice to hang out together,” Marlon said with a simple shrug. “We’re usually a trio with Lou, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have things in common. Fuck, we probably have more in common with each other than with Louis. We’re blonde, both go to the same high school, both like girls…” Marlon got distracted by something on the cabinet. He grabbed it with an excited cry, displaying it proudly to Violet. “Now this we’ve gotta see! Have you watched it before?”

Violet simply shook her head.

“You’re gonna love it,” With that Marlon walked over to the TV and popped in the DVD. The _Predator_ theme began to play on the home screen. Violet settled into one corner of the couch while Marlon sat in front of her on the floor, reaching for the Cheetos immediately. 

It was a good film. Marlon was right about that. The over-the-top action sequences and special effects came together to form a great popcorn flick. Violet found herself enjoying it, even more so thanks to Marlon’s excitement and non-stop commentary. This was obviously one of his favorite movies ever. As she listened to Marlon go on about how the original design for the Predator was scrapped mid-production and how green glowsticks were used to make its blood, Violet took a few bites of the meatloaf he’d heated up for her. It was surprisingly good. Before she’d even realized it, Violet had eaten about half of the enormous portion Marlon had given her. She could honestly live off of that meatloaf all weekend if there was enough of it.

Once _Predator_ finished up, Marlon tracked down his copy of _Scream_ in the _Teletubbies_ case and got that started. As high school students were viciously murdered onscreen, Marlon and Violet chatted a bit about life at their own school.

“Think you’ll invite anyone to homecoming?” Marlon asked before letting out a loud belch from all the soda-pop he’d been drinking.

Violet shook her head, waving a hand to clear out the smell. “Not like I’ve got anybody to ask. Plus, the whole night would probably suck. Nothing to do there,”

“You could dance, spike the punch bowl… steal the title of prom queen,” Marlon smirked.

Violet rolled her eyes. “God, can you be any more of a walking 80’s cliché if you tried?”

Marlon shrugged. “I know what I like. I’m thinking of asking Stephanie, at least giving it a shot. She’s good friends with Therissa. I bet you could convince her to go with you. Then we could make it a double date,”

“The only way Therissa would go to homecoming is ironically, and going to things ironically is stupider than going at all,” Violet slouched back on the couch. Maybe she’d go for it if she thought she actually had a chance. But she didn’t want to go to a dance as a joke or to make some sort of social statement… she just wanted to go with someone she actually liked. That was never going to happen, so there was no point dwelling on it. She stretched out her legs without thinking, immediately withdrawing them when they bumped into Marlon’s shoulder.

Marlon glanced back at her. “Oh, you can put your legs up there if you want. My mom uses me as a footrest all the time,”

“Ok, weird,” Violet did let her legs stretch back out though, resting on the edge of Marlon’s right shoulder.

Suddenly Marlon let out a noise of disgust. “Holy mother of God, what is that smell?” He turned his head slightly, immediately whipping it the other way. “Is that your socks, Vi?”

“What? No! They’re not that bad!”

“No, those things are an abomination,” Before she could react, Marlon got a hold of her feet, tugging off the socks and marching away with them.

“You’d better give those back!” Violet called after them.

“Oh, I will. Just as soon as I run them through the wash,” Marlon disappeared up the stairs, apparently headed to the laundry room. He hadn’t bothered to pause the movie, so Violet continued to watch as one of the girls met her grisly demise. When Marlon returned he took a seat on the other side of the couch, immediately reaching for the Cheetos once more.

“Did you seriously start an entire load of laundry for two socks?”

“It was worth it. Those things were a safety hazard,”

Violet rolled her eyes, but a part of her appreciated the gesture.

\---

Eventually it got to be past midnight and both of them were feeling too drowsy to start another movie. Marlon helped Violet set up the fold-out bed, grabbing some extra pillows and blankets from upstairs. After checking that she had everything she needed, he wished her a goodnight and headed up to his own bedroom.

Violet lay awake for some time. She wondered how her mom was doing. She was always exhausted after pulling graveyard shifts over the weekend. Hopefully her schedule would lighten up a bit throughout the week so she could rest. Of course, that would also require Violet’s dad to be out of the trailer and who knew if that would happen. Her phone buzzed. Violet reached out to grab it, the light from the screen seeming to illuminate everything around her in the pitch darkness.

It was a text from Louis. He was on the West coast right now at some kind of resort with his mom. Violet hoped it was going well. Louis always got nervous before visiting his mom, wanting to make sure he made the time count. He’d sent a photo as well, one of a gorgeous, sunny beach. The text read _Next time I come here, I’m sneaking you into my luggage._

Violet quickly texted back. _Beaches suck, too much sand_  
Her phone pinged again. _How are things going with Marlon?_  
 _Pretty good. Watched Predator  
That’s Marlon’s all-time favorite.   
I could tell  
I’m glad it worked out for you to stay with him.  
Thanks for setting it up  
Sorta wish I was there too.  
Things not going well with your mom?  
It’s complicated._  
Violet paused, unsure what more to say. She was definitely the winner out of her friends for suckiest home life, but that didn’t mean she had any sage advice to give when she saw Louis struggle. _You’ll be home soon  
Yeah… miss you.  
Same.  
I should let you sleep. Talk tomorrow?  
OK_

There were no more texts and Violet’s screen went dark. She hoped Louis was OK. He’d really been hoping this trip with his mom would be something special. Once he was back, she’d have to make him drive her to McDonald’s. He’d treat her to nuggets, and she’d listen to how his trip went. Until then, they’d both just have to hold out. It wasn’t so bad here though. Tonight had actually been pretty nice. Violet felt herself drifting off, her thoughts becoming fuzzier and fuzzier. Maybe tomorrow Marlon could help her figure out a text to send that would cheer Louis up. For now, it was time to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitch wakes up to a text from Violet that makes it clear she needs somewhere to stay.

Mitch woke up to the feeling of drool seeping out of his mouth. Sitting up, he wiped his mouth off with a sleepy groan before checking his phone. _Shit._ Violet had left him a message at 8:04 this morning. 

_you home?_

Violet only reached out for one reason: her dad was being an asshole drunk again.

_yup come on over_

Throwing his phone aside, Mitch looked down at his bare chest. The sweatpants were passable, but he should probably find a shirt. Picking up the nearest one on the floor, he sniffed it deeply before tossing it to the side. That one was too rank even for him. Finding another, he gave it a whiff, finding it passable and throwing it on. He shuffled through the cramped kitchen of his family’s trailer home, grabbing a stale bagel off the counter and chewing it placidly. There was still some coffee in the pot too. His mom must’ve made some before heading off to work; Dad wouldn’t be home for several hours either.

Stepping into their living room, Mitch found his brother Willy crouched criss-cross applesauce on the couch, engrossed in the level of _Spyro_ he was playing. As soon as he saw Mitch though, he paused the game and threw his controller to the side, bouncing up and down in excitement.

“Mitch! You’re finally up! Can we play the game now? Please please please??”

Mitch rolled his eyes good-naturedly before ruffling Willy’s hair. “Sure, bud. Just remember: no telling Mom and Dad, OK?”

Willy nodded eagerly, his eyes even larger than normal.

Mitch knelt down to sort through their collection of old video games. Pulling out the _Frogger_ case, he opened it to reveal the game Willy was truly asking about: _Mortal Kombat._ Putting the disc into their Playstation, Mitch booted up the game. “Violet might be coming over soon so you should get some pants on,”

Willy looked down at his bare legs. “I spilled milk on my PJ’s,”

Mitch noticed the crumpled pants at the foot of the couch. “Well, throw them in the room and get some other ones,”

Willy scampered off, still talking loudly from their bedroom. “Think Vi will want to play too?”

“We’ll see,” It was hard to tell how Violet would be feeling when she arrived. The boys settled in to play a round together. As they always did, Mitch chose Scorpion and Willy choose Sub-Zero. 

They’d been playing for about twenty minutes when there was a knock at their door. “Door’s open!” Mitch yelled, in the midst of trying to land a fatality on Sub-Zero. Willy was getting seriously good: he’d have to step up his game if he wanted to keep winning.

Violet walked in. Wordlessly she walked across the room, plopping into the armchair and watching them play.

“Hey, watch this, Vi!” Willy exclaimed. Catching Mitch unaware, he landed a fatality of his own on Scorpion, ripping off his head and pulling out his spine. Willy cheered as Sub-Zero proudly displayed the decapitated remains. 

Violet gave a small smile in Willy’s direction. “Good job,”

Mitch observed Violet cautiously, a small frown tugging at his lips. He didn’t see any bruises. That was good. Still, they could be underneath her hoodie. _If that piece of shit did anything…_ Mitch tried to take a deep breath, slowing down his heart rate. He and Violet had had this conversation before. She didn’t want him ever doing anything, “pulling yourself into my shit” as she put it. One of these days he’d love to get his hands on the materials needed to blow up the dick’s van, but considering he had a record as a “troubled youth”, a move like that would immediately lead to the finger being pointed at Mitch. He couldn’t risk getting taken away. He wouldn’t do that to Willy.

They’d gone a few rounds without either of them pulling a fatality move. Time to fix that. Mashing the controller, Mitch got Scorpion to pull his signature move, pulling off his mask to reveal a skull underneath and incinerating Sub-Zero with his fire breath.

“Aaw, man!” Willy exclaimed, letting his controller drop to the couch. 

“Can’t beat the master, kid,” Mitch grinned smugly.

“But I did! Like twice!”

“Whatever,” Mitch looked over to Violet, holding out his controller. “Wanna turn, Vi?”

Violet shrugged but stood up to take the controller. 

Mitch headed back to the kitchen, trying to scope out some food. Knowing Violet, she probably hadn’t eaten since last night. Opening the fridge, Mitch was disheartened but not surprised to find nothing but the last dregs of a milk jug and some questionable lunchmeat inside. Shopping day was tomorrow. Mitch glanced back toward his bedroom, wondering for a second if he should text Louis and let him know Violet was here. But the fact Violet had texted him probably meant she wanted to keep things on the downlow. Louis coming over right now might be more than she could handle. Mitch strode back into the living room just in time to see Violet landing a fatality with Sonya. She rolled her eyes as her character stepped back, blowing a kiss that sent an ember flying over to torch her opponent. 

“God, Sonya’s finishing move is so stupid,”

“Then why do you always play as her?” Mitch asked with a smirk, leaning against the wall.

Violet looked away, flustered. “Shut up,”

“I’m doing a McDonald’s run. Wanna come along?”

Violet’s ears immediately perked up at that. “Sure,”

“I wanna come!” Willy exclaimed, leaping up on the couch.

“Nah, somebody’s gotta stay and watch the house. Besides, you need to brush up on your moves so you can annihilate me when I get back,”

Willy didn’t seem quite convinced by Mitch’s words but he quickly flopped back down on the couch, starting up his own round. “I want a Happy Meal!”

“Will do,” Mitch replied, grabbing his keys before heading out the door, Violet close behind. He still had enough money from his last odd job for a treat. The two teens headed out to his beat-up car, hopping inside. They drove in silence; Mitch’s car only had a tape player and that had broken long before he received it.

It was Violet who spoke first. “He didn’t hit me.”

“And your mom?”

“He didn’t get her either. Broke a lamp though,”

“Bastard,” Mitch’s hand tightened on the wheel.

“It’s fine,”

“Vi, that is the exact fucking opposite of fine!” Mitch huffed in annoyance. He shouldn’t be snapping at her. “Is he gone now?”

“His new route starts on Tuesday. He’ll be gone for a week,” Violet stared at the dashboard, her arms crossed tightly. “My mom’s got her diner shift tonight so at least she’ll be out of his reach,”

“You’re staying with us tonight. And don’t give me any shit about it. You can crash on the couch,”

“…Thanks,” Violet’s voice was small.

Mitch turned into the McDonald’s drive through lane. “Now let’s get some fucking nuggets,”

It was about a half hour before they made it back to the trailer, walking in to find Willy still busy trying to master _Mortal Kombat._ They sat around the living room eating their nuggets and Happy Meal and taking turns at the controls. After about an hour more, they all decided it was time to switch to something else. At Willy’s request, they put on _Dumb and Dumber._ They’d all seen it at least a dozen times, but the jokes and gags still had Willy and Mitch laughing while the occasional chuckle came from Violet. Mitch noticed Violet texting as the movie went on. He wondered who it could be but didn’t pry. 

Once the movie finished up, Mitch and Violet amused themselves on their phones while Willy started up _Spyro_ again. It wasn’t long afterwards that Mr. Baker showed up, his arms full of grocery bags.

“Boys, a little help here?” he called from behind the load in his hands. All three hurried to assist him. A look of surprise crossed Mr. Baker’s face as Violet took the bag directly blocking his view. 

“Oh, Violet! I wasn’t expecting you,”

“Violet’s staying the night,” Mitch declared before Violet might try to back out.

“That’s wonderful! I’ll be sure to make extra for tonight’s dinner,” Mr. Baker glanced at the side of the fridge. “Willy, looks like you’re my helper tonight,”

“What are we making, Dad?” Willy asked, looking up excitedly from the box of goldish crackers he’d begun devouring.

“Not that,” his father replied, pulling the crackers out of his son’s hands and ruffling his hair before placing the box on a higher shelf. “We’re having spaghetti and meatballs,”

“Yeah! Meatballs! Meatballs! Meatballs!” Willy chanted, searching the fridge for the newly bought ingredients. 

Violet’s phone dinged. She pulled it out and answered it immediately, her brow furrowed in concentration as she typed out her response. Once she was done, she glanced up at Mitch who was sitting across from her at the couch. He’d been watching the interaction unfold. “It’s my mom,”

“She know where you are?”

“Yeah. Now she does,”

“Was she the one you were texting earlier?”

Violet shook her head. “That was Louis,”

“And I’m guessing you didn’t fill him in completely,”

Violet rolled her eyes. “You know how he gets about this stuff. He’d drive over and try to force me to stay at his mansion instead,”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“His house is creepy. Nothing but empty rooms and servants who look at me like they’re just waiting to catch me trying to steal some shit. This is better,”

Mitch snorted. “Leave it to Vi to prefer a trailer home to a mansion,”

“You know what I mean,” 

Mitch looked over at Willy and his dad who were busy measuring the pasta for dinner. She wasn’t wrong. The location might be ass, but he couldn’t think of any people he’d rather be stuck with.

Mrs. Baker arrived home shortly before dinner was ready. She collapsed wearily in the armchair, her head thrown back and eyes closed. “Mitchell, be a dear and rub my feet, would you?”  
Mitch quickly acquiesced, giving Violet the stink eye as she smirked at him. He rubbed his mother’s feet gently. She cracked open an eye, giving him a tired smile before glancing over at the couch.

“Violet! What a nice surprise. Are you staying for dinner?”

“She’s staying the night!” Willy called from the kitchen. “We’re gonna have a sleepover!”

“That’s a nice thought dear, but it is a school day tomorrow, so you’ll be heading to bed on time,”

Mitch caught the look his parents exchanged across the room. They knew of Violet’s home life. They’d tried to intervene the first few times she’d come over late at night, calling the police and reporting her father. But without her mother’s testimony there wasn’t a case and Violet’s mother never wavered in her unwillingness to testify.

They all sat down to a family meal a few minutes later, sharing stories of their days and passing food round the table. Violet was included just as much as anyone else. Considering she’d known Mitch for over five years now she was practically family. Mitch noticed his parents’ glances his way as he handed the bread over to Violet. He was pretty sure they thought he had a crush on her, but he wasn’t going to bother correcting them. Violet wasn’t out at home yet; he wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to be. Best to leave that matter alone unless Violet saw fit to do otherwise.  
Willy was sent off to bed shortly after dinner. After a great deal of protest, he finally went, angrily stomping off in the same pajamas he’d worn all day. Mr. and Mrs. Baker retired to their room as well, leaving Violet and Mitch in the living room.

“Want to head to the roof?” Mitch offered. 

Violet simply nodded. 

In the years the Bakers had lived in the trailer park, it hadn’t taken Mitch very long to find all the good hiding places. One of the best was on the roof of their home, a small space that could just fit two people. The two of them leaned back against the plastic exterior, watching the sky thoughtfully.

“So,” Violet finally broke the silence, “Bring any hot girls up here yet?”

Mitch snorted. “I wish. How ‘bout you? Getting any action?”

Violet shook her head. “Don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon,”

“Howe High School is a damn wasteland,”

“You can say that again,”

“How about this?” Mitch asked, looking over at Violet. “Let’s make a deal: five years from now when we’re in college we’ll both have smoking hot girlfriends,”

Violet quirked an eyebrow. “I don’t think we can really plan for something like that to happen for sure when-”

“Deal?” Mitch asked, raising his fist for a fist bump.

Violet rolled her eyes good-naturedly, returning the gesture. “Deal,”

“I bet my girlfriend’s gonna be hotter than yours,” Mitch declared, laying back with a smile, his arms behind his head.

Violet scoffed. “Yeah right,”

The two lay there in silence watching the stars and only occasionally speaking, their words casual and off-handed. When it had grown truly dark, they snuck back inside. Mitch gave Violet the blanket that rested across the back of the armchair before wishing her a good-night and heading off to bed himself. It wasn’t much, but he was glad his family was able to offer Violet a place to stay whenever she might need it. He hoped she never hesitated to take them up on that offer. 

Setting his alarm for the next day, Mitch rolled under his covers with a groan. He wasn’t looking forward to school tomorrow. It looked like Violet had forgotten her backpack. Knowing her dad, he’d still be asleep in the morning if they wanted to risk stopping by her house and sneaking in to grab it. They’d decided tomorrow if it was worth the risk. With that decided, Mitch sank into the comfort of his pillow and let sleep overtake him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that they live together, Violet decides it's time: she invites Prisha to come with her to meet her mom.

Violet sat in bed thoughtfully, her fingers playing with the sheets covering her. Prisha lay beside her, still sleeping. Violet wondered how soon it would be until she woke up. There was something important she needed to ask her. The clock beside their bed read 5:47 AM. She still had a little while. Crawling out of bed, Violet headed into the kitchen to make breakfast. As she finished preparing the eggs, bacon and toast, she heard her girlfriend stir and come out of the bedroom.

“Making breakfast, love?” Prisha asked, still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Violet smiled shyly at the term of endearment. Prisha was especially affectionate whenever she was sleepy. “Mhm. I made plenty, so grab as much as you want,” She sat down across from her girlfriend, watching happily as Prisha began to eat.

It only took a moment for Prisha to realize Violet wasn’t joining suit. “You made all this and you’re not hungry?”

Violet shook her head, her eyes on the table. “Visiting my mom today,”

Prisha froze in the midst of biting into a piece of toast slathered in marmalade. “Oh. I see,”

“I want you to go with me this time,”

Prisha’s eyes shot up at that, studying Violet. In all the time they’d been together, neither had met each other’s parents. In Violet’s case, there was the added factor of her father’s violent mood swings. Prisha had never pushed the issue of Violet continuing to visit her mother once a month, even though the first time she’d learned of it had been through seeing Violet with a black eye. To be asked this now… Prisha wondered what had brought it on.

Violet seemed to read her thoughts. “I know it’s not something we ever really talked about. But I would like you to meet my mom. I- I want her to know that I’m happy,”

Prisha’s heart swelled at those words. “Violet…” She reached across the table to grab her girlfriend’s hand. “Of course I want to go. I would be honored,”

Violet’s eyes widened before settling into a bright warmth. “Shit. Ok then. We’re actually doing this,” She squeezed Prisha’s hand gently. “You good to go after breakfast?”

Prisha nodded. “I’ll be finished in a few,”

\---

It didn’t take long before they were ready to head out. There wasn’t really anything to pack, just the monthly check that Violet set aside for her mother. Once that was written up they headed down to Prisha’s car, driving in relative silence. The only sound was the gentle lilt of Louis’ piano playing on the CD he had given them a few weeks earlier.

As they approached the old trailer park that Violet had once called home, she felt her gut twist inside her. Prisha had never been out here before. Violet had been honest about her past and more open with Prisha than she’d ever been before, but still, would seeing the dilapidated trailer in person somehow change things between them? _Shut the fuck up - you’re being stupid,_ Violet scolded herself. _Prisha’s not like that._ It wasn’t like any of her other friends had abandoned her because of her shitty home life. Still, it was a feeling Violet simply couldn’t shake.

Pulling up to the correct trailer, Prisha parked the car and silently exited. As Violet approached, she reached out her hand to intertwine their fingers. They walked up the few steps to the broken screen door hand in hand. Violet rang the doorbell. They waited in tense silence until the main door was opened up a crack. As soon as there was recognition, the door opened wider. Violet’s mother stood before them, looking at the two girls through her screen door. The light inside the house was dim compared to outside so Prisha could only pick up vague details: long, thin blonde hair pulled back in a low ponytail. A thin, wiry frame similar to Violet’s. And dark eyes that looked out with a sort of jaded indifference.

“You gonna let us in, Mom?” Violet finally asked, breaking the silence.

Her mother pushed the screen door open without a word, allowing the girls to slip inside. They were immediately within the living room. A small TV stood against the far wall with a worn-down sofa and armchair facing it. The kitchen was to their right, the sink cluttered with dirty dishes and the smell of burnt food lingering within the air. Violet quickly guided Prisha over to the table where they sat beside each other, looking up at Violet’s mother.

“Tea?” she asked softly. There was a wispiness to her tone that reminded Prisha of Violet’s voice. They both nodded and Violet’s mother headed into the kitchen to get the water heater started. It gave off a high-pitched, faint whistle even as the water within was far from reaching boiling point. Violet’s mother sat down across the table, still observing the girls silently. There was something world-weary within her deep brown eyes. It was clear life had not been kind to her and was far from done with her either.

Violet slid over the check, tucked within a plain white envelope. Her mother pocketed it without a second thought, rising quickly afterwards to get out mugs for tea. When she came back, she carried three mugs steaming with chamomile tea: a pale purple one with a rainbow sloppily painted upon it – clearly a school art project of Violet’s from days gone by; a cracked white mug with a red logo that read Reggie’s Eats upon it and a black mug with no sort of decoration whatsoever. She handed the purple mug to Violet, the black to Prisha, and took a sip from the white mug herself. “You’ve never brought someone over before. Even growing up you wouldn’t,”

 _Not much to see here and plenty to avoid,_ Violet thought to herself, but she knew this wouldn’t be an appropriate answer. Not knowing what else to say, she kept things simple. “Mom, this is Prisha,”

“A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Miller,” Prisha said, lowering her mug.

Violet’s mother nodded faintly. “You’re a friend of Violet’s?”

Violet and Prisha shared a look. Violet could feel her throat closing up from the pressure within. It was now or never though. Giving Prisha’s hand a final squeeze, Violet looked up at her mother. “Prisha’s my girlfriend,”

Violet’s mother stopped mid sip. Placing her mug down on the table, she looked off into the middle distance, seeming lost in her own thoughts. It took several seconds before she spoke. “I should’ve figured as much. What with you never dating, never even talking about boys,” She sighed, taking another sip of her tea.

“Violet’s a truly wonderful girl,” Prisha blurted out, her grip on Violet’s hand tightening. “I’m lucky to have met her,”

Violet’s mother gazed at Prisha, her gaze slightly narrowed, as if she wondered what Prisha’s angle could be in saying such a thing. “How did you two meet?”

“At work,” Violet replied. “Prisha works as the bartender at Ericson’s Diner,”

A slight puff of air left her mother’s lips, almost as though she found Prisha’s particular occupation at the diner ironic. She ran her fingers across the top of her mug absent-mindedly. “You know, I always thought you and Louis might end up together someday. Lord knows the two of you spent enough time together. But you said he's dating one of the waitresses, didn’t you? That pretty one in the pictures you’ve shown me,”

“Mom,” Violet’s jaw tightened, her gaze firm. “Prisha and I have been dating for over a year and a half now. We live together,”

Her mother seemed surprised at those words. She looked back and forth between the girls in shock, her eyes growing as large as Violet’s did in moments of surprise.

Violet continued on. “I love Prisha, Mom. That’s why I wanted to bring her here, for better or for worse. I wanted to show you that I’m happy,”

Prisha’s eyes sparkled at Violet’s words, her thumb gently rubbing her girlfriend’s hand as she smiled over at her with pride.

“You have to go,”

The words made Violet’s stomach sink. So her mother wasn’t going to accept her after all. “Mom, I-”

“No, you need to leave,” Violet’s mother wasn’t looking at her. She was looking out the window. That’s when Violet heard it: the rumble of her father’s truck.

Violet sprung to her feet at once, eyes flying round the room in search of an exit. She knew full well it was wishful thinking: the only exit the trailer had was the front door and her father would head up those steps any second now. Seeing her and Prisha trying to sneak out the front would only heighten his suspicions and lead to a confrontation. Should they hide then? But if he was home, he’d likely be here for hours, sprawled out in front of the TV. Would they seriously have to wait until he passed out to safely slip away? Pulling Prisha towards her old bedroom, Violet froze as she heard the screen door creak open. They were out of time. Instinctively she pulled her hand out of Prisha’s grasp.

“I’m home!” her father declared loudly, clearly already inebriated. His eyes took in the room lazily, widening in surprising when they fell upon his daughter and a stranger. “Violet,” he spoke bluntly, his eyes narrowing. “Haven’t seen you here in a long while. Who’s the beaner?”

Violet’s lip curled in disgust at her old man’s presence. “Prisha. We were just leaving,” She stepped forward but her father still blocked the exit.

“Leaving? But I just got here. Sit down!” he yelled suddenly before his expression changed to a lazy smile. “Please,”

Violet wasn’t sure what else to do. Shaking slightly, she returned to the seat she had recently vacated, Prisha beside her. This was bad. Maybe if they had to, they could make a run for it seeing as they were in the chairs closest to the door. But could they start up Prisha’s car before her father reached them? Violet wasn’t sure about that.

Her father sat down in the chair beside her mother. His hand lay open on the table as though expecting something. “Beer,”

Violet’s mother bit her lower lip. “I don’t think we have any-”

“I said BEER!” he roared, causing Violet’s mother to scurry and find some that she’d clearly hidden away in one of the cupboards. Popping it open, she handed it to her husband before sitting back down, her eyes on the table.

Violet’s father took a long swig before turning back to his daughter. “So, to what do we owe the pleasure?” he asked, waving his arms in mock grandeur.

“I just came to see Mom,” Violet replied, her eyes hard but turned away from him.

Her father snorted. “No love for your old man? I see how it is. I only fed and raised you, but do I see a penny or a word of thanks for any of it? Never,”

Prisha was fuming. Her hand rested upon Violet’s seat, balled up into a fist. 

Though she remained silent, Violet’s father seemed to pick up on her body language, sending a sneer her way. “Got something to say, girlie?”

Prisha shook her head. “Nothing at all,”

“Prisha is Violet’s roommate,” Violet’s mother jumped in, sharing a quick look with Violet. “We were just getting acquainted,”

Violet’s father snorted. “Figures,” He turned toward his daughter with a frown. “Don’t you ever make friends with any white folks? I thought after hanging around Mason’s boy for so many years he might finally introduce you to some well-off white boys, someone you could shack up with. About time some of that wealth rubbed off and came our way. Don’t you work with that boy now?”

Violet simply nodded, remaining silent. The less her father knew about her life the better.

Finishing his beer off with one final swig, Violet’s father lazily dropped the empty bottle to the floor before motioning for another.

“I- we… that’s it,” Violet’s mother’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

“Bullshit. You’ve always got more hidden away. I know how you are,”

“I’ve been busy with those double shifts these last few days. I figured I’d have time to run out and buy some more before you got home, but you’re earlier than expected and-”

“So what, this is my fault?” Violet’s father’s voice rose in anger as he glared over at his wife. “A man should be able to expect a cold beer in his hand whenever he comes home. Is that so much to ask?”

“No,” The answer was faint.

“I said is that so much to ask!” Violet’s father rose from his chair, towering over his wife threateningly.

Instantly Violet was on her feet as well, her purple mug grasped firmly in her hand. The impromptu weapon shook slightly in her hand as she glared up at her father who chuckled darkly at the sight of his daughter. 

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Back away from Mom,”

“Or what?”

“Violet, I-” her mother began only to be met with a hard slap across the face.

“No interruptions!” Violet’s father bellowed, raising his hand to strike again.

“You piece of shit!” Violet screamed, tossing the mug at her father’s head. It broke against his temple and crashed to the ground, causing him to turn toward her with eyes full of rage.

“What did you say?” Her father circled the table, heading toward Violet when suddenly a whistled sound cut through the air and he staggered back in surprise, a hand held to his cheek.

Prisha stood in front of Violet, breathing heavily, arms spread. In one hand was a long, thin silver rod. It looked like one of those retractable pointers teachers used in a classroom. Prisha’s tone was grim as she extended her hand, pointing the rod threateningly. “Don’t you dare lay a fucking hand on her,”

Violet’s father narrowed his eyes in disbelief. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” He strode toward the table again only to be slashed by two quick hits, one across his legs and the other cutting the side of his face.

“My name is Prisha Chakyar and as I live, I will not let you take one step closer to either your daughter or your wife,”

“Raising a weapon against me in my own home? No one does that! No one dares-” His words and rampage were cut short once more as Prisha continuously delivered a volley of attacks across his form, her aim precise and merciless. Reaching out to block the weapon with an angry roar, he received a slash upon his knuckles that left them bloody. Violet’s father attempted to charge forward through the pain only to be met with a slice directly across his face and a kick to the groin that left him staggering against the back of the armchair and falling to the ground.

Prisha flicked the steel pointed free of blood, keeping a steady eye upon the hated man. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her car keys and threw them to Violet. “Vi, start the car. Take your mother with you. I’ll be out shortly,”

Violet nodded, circling the table and grabbing her mother’s arm.

“Violet, I-”

“For once in your life, will you just fucking listen to me, Mom? We’re leaving!” Violet’s grip was firm as she guided her mother past her father’s glowering gaze and outside the trailer to the safety of the car. As the screen door slammed behind them, she could hear her father speaking once more.

“You think I’ll let something like this stand? I’ll sue you, take you for all your worth,”

“I highly doubt that, Mr. Miller. Considering your current financial status you’re unlikely to be able to afford a lawyer to begin with and there are years of evidence to prove your claims to the contrary. I’ll be leaving now and if I ever see you coming anywhere near Violet, I’ll do far worse than what you witnessed here today,”

As Prisha exited the trailer, Violet hurried to get her mother into the back of the car and circle round to the passenger side. Tossing the keys to Prisha as she sat down, Violet noticed her girlfriend’s hands were shaking. The rod lay at Violet’s feet now, still tinged with her father’s blood. As they sped out of the trailer park and back onto the freeway, Violet reached out for Prisha’s shoulder. Prisha flinched initially at the touch, but relaxed into it as she glanced over at Violet, a small smile on her face.

\---

They dropped Violet’s mother off at the restaurant where she worked. Giving her mom all the cash she had on hand, Violet told her to find a motel for the night then left with Prisha. The drive back to their apartment was silent, tense once more, but a different sort of tension than they’d experienced on the way there, the silence of processing what had happened rather than what was to come. It wasn’t until they were inside the apartment, the door locked firmly behind them, that Violet turned to speak to Prisha. “Prish…”

Her girlfriend stood before her, the metal rod still held within her hand. Her eyes were full of emotions, such a depth and flurry of them Violet couldn’t tell which were which.

Violet wrapped a hand around her arm, looking at the floor in shame. “I’m sorry,”

“Vi…” Prisha dropped the rod upon the floor, rushing forward to wrap her in a crushing hug. The pair stayed frozen within that moment, clinging to each other, breathless, until Prisha pulled away, a hand coming up to cup Violet’s face. “Thank God he didn’t reach you. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to stop him in time,”

Violet’s lower lip trembled, tears beginning to run down her face. “It was awful. I never wanted you to see that. I swear I had no fucking clue he’d be back. My mom said he had work today, and-” she choked, her words getting caught in the buildup of tears and snot within her.

Prisha brought Violet’s head to her chest, rocking her back and forth gently. “We got out safely and we grabbed your mother too. That’s all that matters,”

“My mom,” Violet pulled away, looking up at Prisha with wet eyes. “I thought she’d take it better. I mean, I hoped. Shit, I figured she already fucking knew. I should never have taken you there. It was a mistake,”

“It was a calculated risk,” Prisha replied, gently guiding her girlfriend towards the couch. “Sit down. I’ll make us some chamomile tea,” She paused, glancing back at Violet. “On second thought, hot cocoa,”

Violet sat upon the couch in a daze, watching Prisha bustle back and forth within their kitchen. How was she still standing? After what they’d been through, Violet felt as though her legs couldn’t support her weight a second longer even if she tried.

Prisha came back in a few minutes with the two mugs of cocoa, setting them down upon the end table before reaching out for Violet once more, brushing a strand of hair out of her face then pulling her close. As Violet’s head rested upon Prisha’s chest, she could hear how fast her girlfriend’s heart was beating. The encounter had shaken her too. Prisha was just showing it differently. Prisha sighed, running a hand through Violet’s hair repeatedly as though making sure she was still there. “Well, it’s safe to say that we won’t be taking on the challenge of visiting my family anytime soon either,”

“They can’t be worse than mine,” Violet muttered. “Racists, homophobes… abusers,”

“Nevertheless, I believe we’ve earned ourselves a break,” Prisha rested her cheek upon Violet’s head, letting out a shaky sigh. “I’m so thankful that wand didn’t break,”

“What the hell was that anyway? It looked like something you’d use during a Powerpoint presentation,”

Prisha chuckled. “I actually have used it for that purpose over the years. My father bought it for me, for self-defense purposes. I’ve had it since high school. Never had to use it till today though,”

“Do you always carry that with you?” Violet asked, looking up at her girlfriend in disbelief.

“Not often these days. I have the bat stored under the bar if things ever got out of hand at the diner. But I didn’t want to bring something like that to my first meeting with your mother – I figured that would send the wrong impression. So I snatched up the wand instead and tucked it in my pocket, a sort of last resort,”

“One we had to use,”

“One that kept us safe,” Prisha stroked Violet’s hair one last time before pulling away slightly and looking her in the eyes. “Violet, you never have to say you’re sorry to me when it comes to your family. Where you were born isn’t your fault and what happened back there isn’t on you,”

Violet buried her head against Prisha’s shoulder. “Still, you didn’t deserve to go through that,”

“Neither did you,” Prisha placed a hand upon Violet’s shoulder. “I think you know already how precious you are to me, Violet. I hope that one day you see yourself as I do too without all the years you spent in that hellhole dragging you down. You survived, Violet. You’re the strongest person I know. Stronger than a person should ever have to be. But you don’t have to feel like you have to keep that strong face on even around me. Because that altercation terrified me,” Prisha’s voice became shaky, tears beginning to escape her eyes. “And since I’m crying before you, you can cry before me for as long as you need,”

Violet reached up, brushing a tear away from her girlfriend’s cheek before sobs overtook her own throat once more. Leaning against Prisha, she let herself cry. Tears for all the nights she spent in fear of her father’s wrath, the days she’d avoided the house in order to be safe from him. Tears for all the cuts and bruises she’d hidden, the pitying looks she’d turned away from. Tears for every attempt to escape, every action she’d taken to make things right only for everything to crumble apart and to find herself that same scared little kid once more, cowering in a corner alone.

But she wasn’t alone, not anymore. She wasn’t trapped in the trailer or crouching on the mattress in her old shitty apartment. She wasn’t couch surfing in Mitch’s or Marlon’s living room or hiding from the staff at Louis’ mansion. She was home. She had a home here with Prisha, a life they’d built together. She wasn’t going to give that up. Neither of them were. They would fight for what they had and fight to keep each other safe from all the shit life threw their way. As the flow of her tears lessened, Violet found herself focusing on something else: the feeling of Prisha’s arms around her. She was safe here. And knowing what she did now, knowing Prisha as deeply as she’d ever known a person before, Violet was sure that this wasn’t something she could lose. She was home for good.


End file.
